30 minutes just isn't enough

Wow, today felt good! I got up energetic, knocked out a ton of housework, and got around to exercise mid-day. I was able to do a full 25 minutes of aerobics (a new record for an old me), then ten minutes of strength training and yoga.

Turns out there was a recent study that said overweight older women need more like an hour a day of strenuous exercise, rather than the 30 minutes five days a week. Well, I'll just carve out another half hour every day. Now who's going to go to work for me? House clean? Cook?

Speaking of cooking, watch Julie & Julia (or is it Julia & Julie?) Not that I've ever gotten out of the mood to cook, but this movie makes one fall back in love with it. Do you know how many really juvenile jokes you can make from the word "aspic"?

Bon apetit.

Craving dessert? Yogurt pie

OK, so it's not exactly health food. But, non-fat yogurt and lite whipped topping combine to make a really good dessert and a graham cracker crust isn't terrible. I didn't look at the calorie count, but let's admit it's better than sitting down to a whole cheesecake.

The recipe is easy. 16 ounces of non-fat yogurt and a small tub of lite whipped topping (I used Great Value) this time. Mix it up and toss into a graham cracker crust, then freeze for a couple hours. About a half hour before dessert, take it out of the freezer, or someone will break a tooth on it. Don't thaw completely, though, or it's nigh on impossible to slice.

The boy whipped me today at Wii Bowling, Boxing and Baseball. Outstanding, huh?

Starting to feel good

So today, after my workout, I decided that tomorrow I will wear actual exercise clothes. This is a good thing, because it means that I don't dislike my shape as much. And no, I didn't have a cold one to celebrate!

Wii Fit's boxing workout is rapidly becoming my favorite aerobic exercise. I'm up to 10 minutes, and my arms aren't dropping out after 5. I'm envious of my sister-in-law, Dawn, who actually goes to the gym and kickboxes. That's tougher than me!

We need to come up with rewards that don't cost much and add few calories.

Ideas?

Lisa

The Origin of the Quote

Well-behaved women seldom make history. - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

I have seen this quote attributed to everyone. Did a little research. Turns out the author is still alive, and is a professor at Harvard.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Thatcher_Ulrich

I like it.

I hope everyone's having a good day, and more importantly, feeling pretty good about yourself.

Lisa

Oh yeah, I forgot about the steps!

Our building has 22 floors, and I work on the 3rd. I can bolt down my lunch in 15 minutes, and use the other 15 to walk steps. I used to think that it was some kind of triumph to walk up to the 13th floor and back down. It seems more logical, and less painful, to walk up to 9, then down to 4, then up to 6 or 7, then down. Heart rate stays in a better range, and on most days, it gets me energized for the rest of the afternoon. In addition, using a 10-minute break to walk steps keeps me out of the break room when I'm feeling antsy.

Not today, though. I did the steps, and got back to my desk nearly unconscious. Switching to DST is tough for me.

Anyway, up and down steps, especially with hand weights, works really well. David does steps at home, with 5lb barbells. We got the barbells years ago at Play It Again Sports. I think we paid $2 each for them, and until recently, they were great door stops.

What are you doing that works? What are you doing that doesn't work?

Lisa

Who I Am and Why I'm Blogging

I can't be the only 45 year old woman out there who has just a bit of weight to lose, and a few habits to break. I decided that if I share my story, perhaps a whole bunch of us can figure out ways to succeed in being able to look in a mirror and not be vaguely disappointed.

I need to lose about 15 pounds, and become a social drinker, rather than a moderately heavy drinker. Oh yeah, I want to get back to being the generally cheerful person I'm used to, rather than the relatively grumpy person I've become.

The Wii Fit is my best friend right now. That, and reservations for a bucket list trip with my almost 73 year old mother to the Bahamas in May 2010. I have found that I really enjoy doing the boxing workout on the Wii Fit, as well as just about all of the yoga poses. If you have a Wii, let's talk about strategies.

I'll try to post every day. Please feel free to speak your mind, but gently. 

All the best, 

Lisa